Patrik Laine - Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ccbcac34-e12f-4e0a-a44c-de7fc55b83b8.jpeg] Patrik Laine - Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images The Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] will be taking on the St. Louis Blues [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues] on Tuesday night in what promises to be an intense battle. While the Habs dominated their host in the only meeting between both teams this season, both are holding the second wild card spot in their respective conference and are desperate to make the Spring dance. While Montreal still has 13 games left to play, St.-Louis only has 10 games remaining, and the multiple teams chasing them have games in hand. Former Canadiens Center Activated For Playoff Push [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/former-canadiens-center-activated-for-playoff-push] Kaiden Guhle Will Travel With The Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/kaiden-guhle-will-travel-with-the-canadiens] Demidov And SKA St. Petersburg's First Round Opponent Revealed [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/demidov-and-ska-st-petersburgs-first-round-opponent-revealed] At the end of October, the Canadiens beat the Blues 5-2 with Samuel Montembeault in goal. Coach Martin St-Louis has already announced that he will again be in net on Tuesday night. The netminder has a 2-1-0 record against the host with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. As for backup Jakub Dobes, he has never taken on Jim Montgomery’s men. Speaking about Montgomery, he has yet to reveal which masked men will be in the Blues’ goal: Jordan Binnington or Joel Hoffer. The former, who backstopped Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship, has a 2-4-0 record against the Habs with a 3.88 GAA and a .868 SP; he was in net for the October defeat. As for the latter, he beat Montreal in his only game against them and has a 3.00 GAA and a .909 SP. Binnington was in net for the Blues’ last game, but they have been alternating goaltenders lately. After Tuesday morning's practice, it was confirmed that Binnington would be the one facing Montembeault. Patrik Laine is the Canadiens’ most productive player against the Blues with 17 points in 18 games, but in one game in 2018, he scored five goals as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Blues 8-4. Christian Dvorak, who’s as confident as can be lately, also has 17 points but in 21 games. Brendan Gallagher rounds up the top three with 15 points in 17 games. As for the Blues, their most prolific scorer against the Canadiens is Brayden Schenn, 28 points in 30 games. There were rumors that the center could be traded at the deadline, but he’s still with the team [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues/latest-news/blues-made-right-call-not-trading-braydenn-schenn]. Ryan Suter comes in second place with 14 points in 26 games, followed by Justin Folk, who has 12 points in 30 goals. The Blues are red hot right now, having won six games in a row and eight of their last 10 games. Tonight will be Jayden Struble 100th NHL game, there's no doubt the gritty defenseman would like to celebrate the milestone with a win. You can learn more about Struble in our feature length interview [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/players/exclusive-interview-with-jayden-struble-on-his-game-his-teammates-and-the-upcoming-lineup-change]. The Canadiens have won six of the last 10 duels between the two teams, and perhaps a road game is just what sniper Cole Caufield needs. The Canadiens’ best sniper has no points in his last three games but has scored 22 of his 33 goals on the road this season. Puck drop is set for 8:00 PM and will be the last Habs evening game to start later than 7:00 PM this season. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
